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A bug in the multiobjective optimizer IBEA: Salutary lessons for code release and a performance re-assessment

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

The Indicator-Based Evolutionary Algorithm (IBEA) is one of the first indicator-based multiobjective optimization algorithms and due to its wide availability in several algorithm packages is often used as a reference algorithm when benchmarking multiobjective optimizers. The original publication on IBEA proposes to use two specific variants: one based on the ε-indicator and one based on the hypervolume. Several experimental studies concluded that, surprisingly, the IBEA variant with the ε-indicator performs better than the one with the hypervolume—even if the (unary) hypervolume indicator itself is the quality measure used in the performance assessment. Recently, a small bug has been found in the hypervolume variant of IBEA with large implications on its performance. Here, we not only explain the bug in detail and correct it, but also present the (improved) results of the corrected version. Moreover, and probably even more important for the scientific community, we point out that this bug has been transferred to other than the original software package, discuss how this obscured the bug, and argue in favor of some simple, even obvious guidelines how the optimization community should deal with algorithm source codes, documentation, and the (natural) existence of bugs in the future.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationEvolutionary Multi-Criterion Optimization - 8th International Conference, EMO 2015, Proceedings
EditorsAntónio Gaspar-Cunha, Carlos Henggeler Antunes, Carlos A. Coello Coello
PublisherSpringer Verlag
Pages187-201
Number of pages15
ISBN (Electronic)9783319159331
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2015
Event8th International Conference on Evolutionary Multi-Criterion Optimization, EMO 2015 - Guimarães, Portugal
Duration: 29 Mar 20151 Apr 2015

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume9018
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Conference

Conference8th International Conference on Evolutionary Multi-Criterion Optimization, EMO 2015
Country/TerritoryPortugal
CityGuimarães
Period29/03/151/04/15

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